The criminal prosecution of Nicolas Maduro is underway. Here's what to expect

"Maduro pleaded not guilty to the four charges against him — narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine-importation conspiracy, and possession of and conspiracy to possess machine guns — during his initial court appearance in Manhattan, N.Y., on Monday. His wife, Cilia Flores, who was also charged in the superseding indictment and captured alongside her husband by U.S. forces during an early morning raid in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday,"

"U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on social media over the weekend that Maduro and Flores "will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts." Now begins what could be a lengthy legal process of pretrial motions, potential plea negotiations and possibly a jury trial of the authoritarian leader who ruled Venezuela for more than a decade."

"Maduro's head-of-state status will likely come up in court One argument that Maduro's defense team may make is that he cannot be criminally charged for his actions as Venezuela's head of state, two former federal prosecutors who spoke to NPR say. Court records list Washington, D.C.-based lawyer Barry Joel Pollack as Maduro's defense attorney. He did not immediately respond to NPR's request for a commen"

Nicolas Maduro arrived on U.S. soil and pleaded not guilty to four charges: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine-importation conspiracy, and possession of and conspiracy to possess machine guns. His wife, Cilia Flores, also charged in the superseding indictment and captured alongside him during an early morning raid in Caracas, pleaded not guilty. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted that the couple 'will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.' The legal process will involve pretrial motions, potential plea negotiations, and possibly a jury trial. The case may take longer than typical prosecutions because of evidence complexity, security considerations, and potential head-of-state immunity arguments. Court records list Barry Joel Pollack as Maduro's defense attorney.

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